historically marginalised

MAPUTO, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Independent presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane on Friday threatened to call a nationwide strike and bring Mozambique to a standstill if ruling party Frelimo claimed victory in the presidential election.

Mondlane told Reuters that, based on figures collected by his delegates at polling stations, he is leading after Wednesday’s election. Preliminary results are expected to be declared on Saturday, and full, official results 15 days after the poll.

Reuters could not independently verify Mondlane’s claim.

Frelimo has governed the Southern African country since 1975 and has been consistently accused of rigging elections, which it denies. Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo is widely expected to win, succeeding President Filipe Nyusi who is stepping down.

Analysts consider Mondlane, who is popular among the country’s discontented youth, as the biggest challenge to the ruling party in years.

“The risks of violence are very high,” Mondlane said in an interview, adding that he did not condone violence and would fight the outcome through the courts and through peaceful demonstrations if authorities declare a Frelimo win.

“We will mobilize our population so that they do not accept the results,” he said. “We are going to instigate an economic shutdown, a total shutdown of the country.”

A Frelimo spokesperson said the party was waiting for official results and that “Frelimo does not declare victory, that is done by the official election body.”

Mondlane said he did not have conclusive evidence of fraud in the election. But civil society groups have reported some irregularities, such as election observers being denied access to watch the preliminary counting.

Isolated street protests broke out after Frelimo swept last year’s municipal elections, and were forcefully suppressed.

On Friday, the capital Maputo was peaceful, with some armed police officers deployed along main roads.

Mondlane said that, if elected, he would reform tax policy to channel more of the revenue from multinational companies, such as ExxonMobil, into local development. He also wants to make more financing available to young people who start businesses.

ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies are both developing major gas projects in the country’s far north that have been halted by an Islamist insurgency. The conflict has displaced thousands of people.

Mondlane said he would pursue negotiations with the leaders of the insurgency and boost development in the restive Cabo Delgado province, which he said had been historically marginalised.

“It is not possible to have peace in Cabo Delgado excluding the insurgents,” he said.